


Carpe Diem, Delilah Dirk

by mpatientdreamr



Category: Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 17:42:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2820728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mpatientdreamr/pseuds/mpatientdreamr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Always a whirlwind, that one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carpe Diem, Delilah Dirk

**Author's Note:**

  * For [psocoptera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/psocoptera/gifts).



> Many thanks to my beta. :)

Selim was having a terrible time. Delilah could tell because he kept reaching up and tugging at his collar, muttering, “Awful. Just awful.”

She bit back her smile. Balls in London were dreadfully boring affairs. Thus far, the most interesting thing about their tour of the Season was watching Selim become more and more disenchanted with upper class frippery. 

Her eyes lit when she heard a familiar intro and felt her more wicked nature take hold.

“Mr. Selim, do you waltz?” she asked, turning to him in time to see him freeze.

“Excuse me?” he asked, incredulous.

“Waltz, Mr. Selim. Lady Daniels is dancing with the Duke of Worthington and I need to hear what they're saying,” she said, taking his arm and towing him out to the dance floor.

“Will it get us out of this soulless town faster?” he hissed, digging in his heels.

“Oh, most definitely,” she declared confidently. As she'd liberated the scroll they'd come to London for in the first place within the first three hours of their arrival, she was happy to head out as soon as they left the ball. She'd only stayed so he could get a taste of exactly what she was 'missing out' on. 

“Fine,” he said and swept her stiffly into his arms.

The whispers started immediately and bless Mr. Selim because after the first stumble, he never missed another beat. Delilah decided she didn't care what the ton thought of her or her choice of dance partners. Mr. Selim was a sturdy presence in her life, a little finicky, but precious to her all the same. She was the most level headed adventuress that London and Greece had ever turned out but, with a touch of his hand, Mr. Selim appeared to have undone all of her practicalities.

“Can you hear them?” he murmured and she had to pull her focus away from the feel of her hand in his to figure out what he was talking about.

“Oh. Yes,” she said, remembering that they were supposed to be spying.

He whirled them past Lady Daniels with a little smile and said, “Have you got everything you need?”

No. “Nearly,” she said, enchanted by the sparkle of devilment in his eyes.

She blinked as the lighting around them dimmed and realized he'd led them out onto a balcony. “And now?”

Delilah laughed, squeezing his shoulder. “Oh, yes. Much better.”

Their whirling slowed to a sway, until she was merely caught in his arms, and Delilah felt her heart begin to pound like she was about to start out on an epic adventure.

“I believe this isn't proper in the slightest,” Mr. Selim said.

She shrugged and leaned into him. “You know me better than anyone. When have I ever cared for propriety?”

He started to lean into her as she let her eyes drift closed when a sudden shout rent the air. “Thief! That's the theif from the museum!”

“Oops!” she said, then hiked up her skirt and planted her heel in an oncoming guard's belly. “Another time, perhaps.”

Ballgowns were unfortunately devoid of places to slash swords, so she didn't resist when Mr. Selim started towing her away through the gardens. Her damned skirts tangled around her feet and she yanked them up into her arms. They nearly crashed into the wall at the back of the gardens.

“A boost, Mr. Selim,” she said, lifting her foot expectantly.

He nudged her knee back down and stepped into her space, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips that sent shivers down her spine.

“If we waited until you weren't causing mischief, then it would never happen,” he said gruffly. Then he stooped as his cheeks darkened in a blush and cupped his hands together. “Your boost, Miss Dirk.”

She stepped into his hands laughing. She really was on top of the world.


End file.
